Guide You Home
by Ryeloza
Summary: After years apart, Phoebe and Cole are finally reunited. Will they finally get the happily ever after ending that they always wanted?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Charmed_. I'm just playing around.

**A/n: **Greetings! For some of you, this is the long-awaited next installment of the "Alone, Eternally" series. If so, welcome back! For the rest of you unfamiliar with the other stories in this series, welcome. I hope you enjoy this.

Truthfully, I don't think it's necessary to read the rest of the stories in this series, although it will give you a good background on what is going on in this story. If you don't feel like reading those other stories right now, here is a brief recap:

In 2007, Cole forged a bond with Wyatt that he used to get Wyatt to bring him back to life. Cole went to Phoebe's apartment with every intention to get her back, but when he saw her with Coop and her new baby, Nora, he couldn't bring himself to disrupt her family life. He disappeared and fell into a depression that he overcame with some help from Prue (who promised him that one day Phoebe would come to him).

Many years later, Phoebe's daughters, Nora and Lena, discovered the truth about Cole. After Nora ran away from home, Lena told Phoebe the truth about Cole being alive.

Also, Coop died several years ago (a story I have not written yet, but plan to).

I really hope that everyone enjoys this story. I know that for some of you this one has been a long time coming. I know I've been waiting a long time to write it. I hope that it lives up to any expectations.

Thank you so much to those of you who have read and reviewed all of the stories so far. I'd appreciate any feedback you have on this story too.

Happy reading!

_Katie_

**Setting: **November 2025

**Guide You Home**

sequel to **Waits for You**

a story by **Ryeloza**

_When you try your best but you don't succeed  
When you get what you want but not what you need  
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep  
Stuck in reverse_

-Coldplay, "Fix You"

The house was across the street from a park. Not the sort of park with a lot of trees and paths for people who would want someplace nice to walk their dogs, but a child's playground. The place seemed pleasant enough; a very family-oriented neighborhood. The house itself was lovely; decently sized with a big bay window and wooden fence around the edge of the property. It was the sort of place Phoebe might have chosen to raise her girls, and the thought saddened her in a way. Somehow, it brought up the whole host of what-might-have-beens that had been in her mind in a frighteningly real way.

For the past two hours, Phoebe had been sitting on a bench at the edge of the park staring at the house across the street and trying to work up the nerve to go ring the doorbell. She had truly thought that once she made the decision to come here that the hardest part would be over. Little had she known that the mere sight of 906 Clearview Drive—how many times had she recited that address over the past four months?—would cause her anxiety to return tenfold. Looking at the house, knowing that Cole _lived_ there, made the entire situation more real than had any other moment of the past four months.

Part of her thought that she shouldn't have come. Hers and Cole's past was so tumultuous that it almost seemed more logical to let it lie. But another part of her—the part that could never quite let go of Cole—had known that the moment she heard Lena tell her that Cole was alive, she'd eventually seek him out.

Street lights lit up, and Phoebe felt surprised by how dusk had fallen around her. People had begun to leave the park, going home to put their children to bed or to watch television or to talk or to read or to do whatever they did in their everyday lives. In a way, being here was like being in a dream, and that was really what she needed to wake from before she knocked on Cole's front door. The only way to face this was with a clear head; a head grounded in reality. Because the one true reality of this situation—the thing that really had kept her in the park for two hours—was that the minute she walked back into Cole's life, she'd be changing hers forever.

Did she really want to shake the foundation she had spent years cautiously building?

Phoebe shut her eyes and tried to reach a sense of calm. Unfortunately, the same scene that had been plaguing her for months immediately sprung into her mind.

_You just don't get it, Cole, do you? I thought you were dead and I felt nothing. No pain, no love, nothing. I'm free. And when we do vanquish you, and we will, I'll never look back._

She wrenched open her eyes and ran a shaky hand over her face. Despite everything, she couldn't quite believe that Cole could have forgiven her for those last words she'd spoken to him. At the time she had been so convinced of what she said; she'd _wanted _her feelings to be gone so badly that she would have said anything to persuade herself. She would have said anything to make Cole give up and go away.

And the next thing she had known he had been dead and her feelings had been so jumbled and confused that she had fallen into a downward spiral she still looked back on with nausea. How could she have been so immature? How could she not have realized what Cole meant to her, even as fearful and angry as she had been at that time? He'd been gone before she could blink and there had been nothing to do but suppress her thoughts and go on.

_Go_.

The word came as a whisper and Phoebe snapped her head up at the sound. After a moment, she thought she must have imagined it, but then…

_Go._

Phoebe stood up and spun around, looking in all directions. As simple as the word was, she heard a voice in that one syllable that she hadn't heard in over twenty-four years.

"Prue?" she whispered.

_Go, Phoebe. _

"Prue?"

_Go._

Across the street, the gate of the fence opened.

_Go._

Without another doubt, Phoebe headed across the street, scarcely registering her sudden breathlessness. Fueled by the energy of her big sister, Phoebe raised a hand and knocked firmly on the front door. Then her new-found confidence fled just as suddenly as it had appeared. Just as she registered what she had done, just as she turned to retreat from the house, the door opened.

For what seemed to be the longest stretch of time, there was silence. She couldn't do anything but stare at him, bathed in the light of his foyer. Then, finally, he whispered, "Phoebe?"

She swallowed hard. "Hi, Cole."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Charmed_.

**A/n: **Thank you so much for all of the reviews so far! I really, really hope you like this chapter. Any feedback will be warmly welcomed!

_Katie_

**Guide You Home**

sequel to **Waits for You**

a story by **Ryeloza**

_And the tears come streaming down your face  
When you lose something you can't replace  
When you love someone but it goes to waste  
Could it be worse?_

-Coldplay, "Fix You"

Cole stood, gawking at her for what felt like several more minutes—though Phoebe was fairly certain she was staring just as openly at him—before he finally shook himself and glanced over his shoulder. When he looked away from her, she seemed to snap from her daze and she ran a hand through her hair nervously. A moment later, Cole turned back to her and said, "Do you want to come in?"

"Yes," said Phoebe, nodding.

She stepped into the house and glanced around, but despite her morbid curiosity about Cole's suburban Phoenix house, she couldn't keep her eyes off of the man himself for very long. Time had blurred the memories of him in her mind, but every passing minute brought back details she had forgotten. The distinct shade of blue in his eyes, the curl to his hair—which seemed more distinguished with the touch of silver he'd allowed to grow in—,the strength of his jaw. He was even more handsome than she remembered; the years had been extremely kind to him.

Cole led her into a living room and she perched on the edge of a couch, her hands clutched on her knees. Still, they didn't speak. How did she begin a conversation with someone she hadn't seen in eighteen years; with someone who, when last she saw him, she'd said such cruel things?

"How did you find me?"

Phoebe almost cracked a smile in gratitude; trust Cole to find some opening within this awkward mess of a reunion. Still, where to begin?

"Well…I…Cole, I'm not sure how much you know. I mean, I know some things, but not everything. I could just about kill Piper for not telling me that your soul was apparently hanging around the manor for all those years. Lena said that you…you came back the day Meli was born, but—oh! See! That's the thing. I don't even know how much you know—"

"Phoebe," said Cole, an utterly bemused expression upon his face. That alone seemed to drain some of the tension from the room and this time Phoebe did allow herself a small smile. "I know a lot more than you might think. I promise I'll tell you everything I know as soon as you're done."

"Okay," said Phoebe. "Well, I found out about you from Lena. My daughter."

Cole raised an eyebrow and Phoebe took a deep breath, determined to press on.

"She found out about you…No, wait. I should just start at the beginning. My older daughter, Nora, found out first. She found this box of stuff I keep in a drawer—"

"A box of stuff?"

"Uh, yeah. Stuff from our relationship. Stuff I just couldn't get rid of. And, well, she apparently pressed Leo for details or something and he told her everything. I swear, between him and Piper, I could just about go nuts. But anyway, she told Lena about it and so Lena convinced Nora to cast some spell and the spell showed them everything."

"Everything about us?"

"No. Everything about your great escape from the neverworld or whatever. I'm beginning to think you have more lives than a cat."

Cole smiled, but it seemed a bit halfhearted. Or sad, perhaps. Phoebe couldn't quite categorize the image, but the sight made her heart sink a little. He didn't think—she hadn't meant it as a criticism.

"So they saw that I was here?" Cole asked before Phoebe could articulate an apology.

Slowly, she said, "No. I don't think so. The spell gave them an address. Lena gave the address to me. And I came here."

"Just like that?"

"Well, just like that plus four months."

"That sounds more correct," said Cole. The old light flashed in his eyes for a second, but then a dark cloud passed through. With a slight edge of bitterness that sounded more obvious because he was obviously trying to hide it, he asked, "Coop didn't mind?"

Phoebe bit her lip and took a deep breath. "Coop…Coop died. Almost six years ago."

"Oh. Phoebe, I'm…I'm really sorry about that. _Really_ sorry."

"It was a car accident. Coop was killed instantly and Nora was in intensive care for almost a week. It was…it was really difficult."

Cole reached out a tentative hand, snapped it back, and then stood and crossed the room. A moment later he was back, sitting on the couch next to her and holding out a tissue. Phoebe took it, surprised; she hadn't even realized that she'd begun to cry. So much time had passed since she'd had to _tell_ anyone about Coop's death that she'd forgotten how hard it was to do. She dabbed at her eyes and loudly blew her nose, and then almost smiled at how she still didn't feel self-conscious around Cole, even after all this time.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Phoebe nodded. "Yeah."

"Do you want me to explain exactly what happened with me?"

"Yes," she said, grateful for the change of subject. "Please."

"Alright then." Cole stood and began to walk the room; it seemed he still couldn't stand to sit still, particularly when speaking. "I don't know exactly why I ended up in limbo. Maybe because I wasn't in reality when I died? I'm really not sure. But I was dead and I was in the manor and I couldn't leave and I was really, really pissed off."

Phoebe nodded. "I don't think anyone could blame you for that."

Momentarily interrupted, Cole paused and caught her eye, clearly a little surprised. Then he resumed both his pacing and his story. "It took me a long time to let go of all of that anger, but eventually, it just all kind of faded away."

"Just like that?"

Cole smiled, but at whatever memory he had conjured, not at her. "The kids helped. Wyatt and Chris, they helped a lot. And so things got a little better. And eventually I realized that Wyatt could hear me. He knew that I was there."

"So you decided to use him to bring you back? I have to warn you, Piper wasn't exactly thrilled about that part of the story."

"Well it sounds like Piper's just as I remember her. I didn't think for one second that she'd approve. I think she owed me though, for not telling you that I was there."

"I was mad about that too," said Phoebe. "At first. But, Cole, if she had, I might not have Lena. I might not have the life I have now."

"Honestly?" said Cole. "I'd have to say the same. It…it had to happen this way, I think."

Phoebe looked at him quizzically, insanely curious as to what in his life had finally allowed him to find some satisfaction. She bit her lip to restrain herself from interrupting the flow of his story with her questions.

"So I got Wyatt to bring me to life and I had every intention in the world of just showing up at your apartment and whisking you away. But that night…Phoebe, I'll never forget the sight of you in your window. I swear you never looked so beautiful. But when I saw Coop and your baby…I just…I couldn't. So I left."

"And came to Phoenix?"

"Um…no. Not at first. I went up north for awhile and, well, for awhile I was at rock bottom." Cole glanced at her and ran a hand through his hair. "I was a drunk, basically. And then one day," Cole shook his head, "your sister showed up."

"My sister? Wha—Which sister?"

"Well…uh…Prue."

"Prue?"

"Yeah. She had some guy with her. Uh, Andy."

A feather could have knocked Phoebe over, even with the supernatural push she'd just received outside. "Prue _and_ Andy?" she asked.

"Yeah. They came to, in their words, _save_ me. And I guess that technically that's what they did, as much as I hate to admit that."

"I…That's…How…"

"Prue told me that some day you'd show up, so I had to clean up my act. You know, not drink myself to another grave. Granted, I didn't think that it would be fifteen years later, but better late than never, right?" Cole chuckled, clearly nervous.

"I just can't believe this," said Phoebe. "Piper is going to flip. How is Prue? Did she seem…okay?"

"Yeah," said Cole. "She looked…uh…well. Still as pushy as she ever was."

For the first time, Phoebe grinned. "That's…good. I'm glad."

"Right," said Cole. "Well, I'm glad she came too. If she hadn't, I'd be dead right now. Not here. God, I hate admitting that."

"Prue always did have an uncanny knack for being right. About everything."

Cole smiled. "I'm glad she was right about you," he said. "I…It's really good to see you again."

"It's good to see you too," said Phoebe, ducking her head a little. She suddenly felt shy and awkward again; the feeling was annoying after the level of comfort she'd felt just moments before.

"Do you want a drink?" Cole seemed to be trying to diffuse the tension again, and for the third time that night, Phoebe was grateful to him for the transition.

"Yes, please," she said. She turned to follow his movement across the room to where he stooped by a locked cupboard. How strange that his liquor was kept behind lock and key. "How," she began to ask, "did you end up—" She meant to finish _in Phoenix, anyway?_, but just as she had begun to speak, the door across the room had creaked open. After every shock of the night, this one had to be the most stunning.

"Daddy?" said the little girl who'd entered the room.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **What's that? I still don't own _Charmed_. Oh crap.

**A/n: **Thank you all for the fantastic feedback on this story! I am so glad you guys are enjoying this. I was actually pretty nervous about the last chapter; I wasn't sure how the daughter revelation would be taken. I will be very happy to hear what you all think about this next chapter. It's been a long time coming, in my mind at least.

_Katie_

**Setting: **November 2025

**Guide You Home**

sequel to **Waits for You**

a story by **Ryeloza**

_And high up above or down below  
When you're too in love to let it go  
But if you never try you'll never know  
Just what you're worth_

-Coldplay, "Fix You"

Phoebe felt as though her face was frozen, but she couldn't be sure because she had gone numb from head to toe. To an observer she would have appeared comical: huge eyes, mouth dropped open—a pure expression of shock. The little girl glanced at her once, but she seemed much less perturbed by Phoebe's presence than Phoebe was by hers. A second later, she was standing in front of Cole, holding his hand and swinging it slightly to keep his attention.

"Daddy," she said again. "I couldn't sleep."

"You couldn't?" said Cole. The tone in his voice was so tender, so fraught with love, that Phoebe felt tears spring in her eyes. She had a million thoughts and emotions fueling her: memories of Coop speaking to Nora and Lena that way; perfect family moments she'd almost forgotten in the pain since Coop died; sheer longing for her daughters—all three of them; every missed opportunity she had had to see Cole this way before today, with a son they _should_ have had. Everything swirled together inside of her, swelling and squeezing her heart so tightly she thought she might burst. How and when had this lovely little creature come along to transform Cole from a man to the father he had so longed to be?

"No, Daddy. I just kept thinking about what's gonna happen to Wibur? I'm really worried about him. Couldn't we just read one more chapter? Please?"

The image of Cole reading _Charlotte's Web_ to a child—_his_ child—was almost too much for her to handle. She clutched the pillow on the back of the couch, trying to keep herself anchored to reality as she had once known it. This, of course, was a losing battle.

"Not tonight, Hat."

"Aw, Dad, _pretty_ please."

"Nope. You have school tomorrow morning and I have company." He looked towards Phoebe and the little girl—her name wasn't really Hat, was it?—turned her eyes towards Phoebe too, this time more curious. She was an adorable girl; a cloud of dark curly hair, huge green eyes and a generous smattering of freckles across her face. Her features did not scream Cole, but something in her eyes, her expression, the way she stood, had the markings of Cole through and through.

"Who's that?"

"Oh. Well," said Cole, "this is Phoebe. Phoebe, this is my daughter, Hope."

"Hi," Phoebe managed to croak out.

"Hi." Hope looked thoughtfully from Phoebe back to her father and then began to tug on his hand again. "You still have to tuck me in again."

Cole, who had not broken eye contact with Phoebe since he'd looked over, snapped his attention back to Hope. "Oh, of course. What was I thinking?" With little effort, he scooped Hope back into his arms, said, "I'll be right back," to Phoebe and then whisked Hope out of the room. And Phoebe still sat, clutching the pillow, as lifeless as a statue.

Was he married?

Thinking back on the evening, she couldn't remember a ring on his finger, but she hadn't exactly been preoccupied with his hands either. When she'd come here she'd simply assumed that he was still available. Cole's availability—although sometimes emotionally lacking—had never been a question on the table before. But there had been eighteen long years since he'd let her go that night outside of her apartment; had she really expected him to still be waiting around for her? To put his whole life on hold for some long-shot chance she would come?

And that's when Phoebe realized that she had made all of those assumptions. They were questions that hadn't even entered her mind. Apparently her expectations—her selfishness—regarding Cole had not dimmed with time or distance.

But now was not the time to marvel at her own stupidity. Now was the time to act. Where was the wife? How would Phoebe possibly explain herself if they met tonight? Should she just excuse herself and slip away as though this whole visit had never occurred?

Was that disappointment she felt?

Phoebe sighed and ran her hands over her face. She had convinced herself that if she came here she'd come with no expectation, no hope. All she had wanted was a chance to see Cole, to explain things and hear his story and maybe lay to rest the past once and for all. In no way had she wanted…thought…hoped…

Well, anyway, it was out of the question now. Any minute now his wife would probably come waltzing through the door with perfect hair and skin and a trim figure and—

"Phoebe?"

Phoebe snapped out of her reverie and stood, turning to face the door where Cole had just reentered the room. "Are you okay?" he added.

She nodded, feeling slightly nauseous. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Just fine. I…I just didn't realize…Maybe I should go."

"I was going to tell you about Hope. I wasn't keeping you in the dark on purpose or anything, Phoebe. I swear."

"Oh, I know," said Phoebe. That thought hadn't even occurred to her. "I just…this is so awkward, Cole. I wasn't thinking when I came here. I wasn't thinking about the fact that you could be married and have all these kids and a whole perfect life—"

"I'm not married," interrupted Cole. "And Hat's my only child."

Phoebe could have jumped for joy in that moment, but she was pretty sure that if she did she'd levitate right to the ceiling without even trying. To cover her joy, she said, "Hat?"

"Oh, um, nickname," said Cole. "When she first learned to read she was really impressed that her initials spelled a word. Hope Alexandria Turner: Hat. She used to go around saying it and writing it all the time. It just kind of stuck."

"That's…God, Cole, you're a father."

"Yes. For nine years now."

"That's…It's perfect. I always knew…I always knew that you'd be a great dad. And here you are. She's just wonderful."

Cole smiled shyly and Phoebe marveled at the expression. She'd never seen Cole like this before; she'd never really had the _chance_ to experience this side before. Somehow it was everything she knew it would be and absolutely nothing she expected all at once.

"But you're not married?" This point, somehow, couldn't be emphasized enough.

"Uh, no. Not since you and I were. Hope was a bit of a surprise. Her mom was young and she'd just gotten a job out in New York."

"She didn't want to be involved?"

Slowly, Cole shook his head. "She just wasn't ready for it. We weren't even serious. It was just a fling. She was a grad student at the school where I was working—"

"School?" asked Phoebe, momentarily thrown off course. "What were you doing there?"

"Well I've been teaching."

"You've been teaching."

"Yes."

"At the college level."

"Yes."

"_What_ are you teaching?" Phoebe bit her tongue, not meaning to sound as incredulous as she had come off. This was all a bit too much to take in; Cole living in the suburbs with a daughter and now he was some sort of professor? Reality seemed to be drifting further and further away from her.

"Some criminal law classes. I mean, it took a bit of finagling and some real work, but I got there. I have a legitimate job now. And, biggest surprise of all, I actually like it for the most part."

"Well that's…This is just…I…I'm speechless, Cole. You…You've really got a perfect life here. It's…It's great."

"I'm really happy, Phoebe," said Cole. There was an honestly in his eyes that made Phoebe weak in the knees. "It took me a really long time to figure things out. A really long time. But I did it."

"I'm glad." Mostly, she was. Some small part of her though, the part that had always been and always would be in love with Cole, was torn apart. Why hadn't he been able to figure it out with her? Or, worse, how could she have prevented him from realizing this sort of life?

Cole, still as insightful as he had always been about her, said, "What's wrong, Phoebe?"

Phoebe sighed. "I just feel horrible. I mean, I feel like you could have had this years ago, but I wasn't enough…I didn't give you enough…"

"No, Phoebe," said Cole. "I didn't give myself the chance. I loved you. I loved you so much that you were my entire reason for living. When I lost my demon half, I lost that entire part of my life and I didn't have any idea what to do except to cling to you. I made my whole life about you, and that was wrong. For both of us. I needed to lose you…to get away from you, in order to finally figure out who _I_ was as a human. And it took me a very long time to realize that, trust me."

For the second time that night, Phoebe's face was wet with tears, but this time Cole's was just as stained. Neither of them, though, made a move to the box of tissues still on the coffee table.

"Phoebe?" said Cole softly.

"I…" said Phoebe. "I was just thinking that we're too similar."

"What do you mean?"

"Just…Well just that I went through sort of the same thing. When I cut you out of my life and gave up on you, I just shut down, Cole. Everything became about me and my needs and I just couldn't see the big picture anymore. I couldn't focus on anything but the idea that I needed, or even deserved, some kind of great, true love. I gave up on everything my witchcraft once meant to me, my sisters, my work…It was obsession. And then once I finally had Coop I think I just held onto him with everything I had because I'd lost all other drive in my life.

"I spent a really long time trying to figure out why everything wasn't perfect when I finally had a loving marriage and a child. And then finally I realized that it didn't matter if I had a husband or a perfect house or anything else. Something was broken inside of me, and I had to fix it. And it took a really long time and a lot of work, but I finally started to _like_ myself again. And it was the first time in much too long."

Cole chuckled and wiped his cheek with his fingers. "I guess we really are two peas in a pod, aren't we?"

"Two completely dysfunctional peas, yeah."

For a moment they stood, laughing and crying and finally seeing each other for who they truly were inside. Phoebe wasn't sure who took the first step, her or Cole, or if they both started together, but they met halfway, arms already reaching for one another. The next thing she knew, Cole's lips were on hers, salted with his tears, but just as loving as she had remembered.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Charmed_.

**Setting: **November 2025

**Guide You Home**

sequel to **Waits for You**

a story by **Ryeloza**

_Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you_

-Coldplay, "Fix You"

She would never be sure about which of them had started the kiss, but she knew with certainty that she was the one who kicked up the intensity. Kissing Cole—even after so many years—was more passionate, sexier, and more life-affirming than kissing any other man had ever been. She couldn't help running her hand up into his hair and using the leverage to deepen the kiss. She couldn't help slipping her tongue into his mouth and pressing her body right up against Cole's.

To her delight, Cole didn't seem able to resist her any more than she could him. His hands seemed to be everywhere on her body at once, gripping and rubbing and—

Without conscious thought, Phoebe moaned, and that, finally caused Cole to stop. He broke away from her, but stayed close enough to rest his forehead against hers. "We can't…you can't kiss me like that, make noises like that, Phoebe. I won't be able to stop."

"Do you really want to?" asked Phoebe, a laugh in her words.

"No," said Cole. "God, no. But we have to."

"Hope."

"She's in a getting out of bed at night phase."

"I am unfortunately familiar with that," said Phoebe. "Nora went through a phase like that once."

"How long did it last?"

"Too long. You probably don't want to know."

"I guess I should get used to it then."

"Guess so."

Slowly, Phoebe dropped her hands from Cole's neck to his shoulders, steadying herself before she took a step backwards. When she looked up into Cole's eyes her legs nearly buckled from the expression on his face. She hadn't seen such love and tenderness directed at her in much too long. Fighting against every instinct she had, Phoebe sank onto the ottoman behind her and said, "What are we going to do?"

Cole, realizing the sudden turn the evening had taken, sat down across from her, jiggling his leg. "I don't know."

"That was a really good kiss."

"It was. A _really_ good kiss."

"And I'd like to do it again."

"So would I."

There was a pause, and then Phoebe said, "We have to be realistic, don't we?"

Cole stopped moving his leg and leaned back in his seat, his fingers forming a steeple. "Realistic in what way, Phoebe? I want to be with you. I've always wanted to be with you. That hasn't changed. Unless you don't…"

"No, I do!" Phoebe felt her cheek flush at the eagerness of her words. "I mean, I'd like to see where we can go. But so much has changed, Cole. We aren't the same people we were twenty years ago. We don't even know each other anymore."

"So we'll get to know one another again. I don't see the problem here, Phoebe."

Phoebe laughed a little incredulously. "You don't see the problem? You have a life here, Cole. You have a job, a house. Your daughter is settled here. She has friends, her own life. But my whole life, my daughter, my family are in San Francisco."

"So I'll move."

"What?"

"I'll move back to San Francisco."

"I can't ask you to do that."

"You're not asking me. I'm volunteering."

"So what? You're just going to uproot yourself and your daughter? That's crazy, Cole. People don't just decide to up and move hundreds of miles away!"

"There are jobs in San Francisco too, Phoebe. And schools and houses and everything else that I have right here in Phoenix. I can have everything I have here in San Francisco, but I can't have you here. That's not much of a choice, if you ask me."

Phoebe smiled, wanting nothing more than to tell him to do it, to tell him to drop everything and come. But someone had to be practical here. Someone had to think with her head instead of her heart.

"I'd like nothing more than to have you back home. I'd like nothing more than to give us the second chance we always should have had. But it's not just up to me, or to you, Cole. Don't you think you need to talk to Hope?"

Cole sighed, leaned forward, and ran a hand through his hair.

"Cole?"

"No. I know. You're right. I really don't want you to be, but you are."

"If it makes you feel any better," said Phoebe, "I need to talk to my daughters too." If, of course, Nora ever called or came home or communicated in any way ever again. Immediately, Phoebe pushed the thought from her mind; thinking about Nora hurt so much that Phoebe could barely breathe.

"But they told you where I was. They found out I was still alive. Doesn't that mean…I mean, I thought…" Cole looked at her with an expression fraught with anxiety and Phoebe bit her lip. She hadn't really considered how much Cole might want her daughters' acceptance, and the truth was that they weren't exactly thrilled by his existence.

"Things have been really complicated since Coop died," said Phoebe tentatively. "Nora has had a really hard time dealing with things. When she found out about you, she was furious."

"Because I almost came between you and Coop?"

"Because she thought that I never loved her father. Because she had so much anger inside of her that she had to find some place to direct it, and I was the best target. Or the most deserving. I don't know. I wanted her to get counseling, but she refused to go. And now…"

Cole raised an eyebrow, looking at her expectantly. Phoebe took a deep breath, releasing it as a sigh and tried very hard to suppress her feelings. "Nora ran away from home the day after her birthday. I haven't heard from her since."

"She ran away? Can't you find her? Magic or…I don't know, call the police or something!"

Nearly overwhelmed by the concern in Cole's voice, Phoebe bit back a sob. "Nora is really smart. She cast a spell to keep us from finding her. And the police couldn't do anything. She's eighteen now. I have no legal right to drag her home."

"There has to be some way," said Cole. "You're not just giving up."

"I'll never give up on my daughter. I just have to keep believing that someday she's going to come back. That she's okay, wherever she is."

Cole held out a hand towards her. "Come here," he said quietly. Without hesitation, without a word, Phoebe stood and came forward, falling into Cole's arms like it was exactly where she belonged. While she didn't feel any better, for the first time since Nora had gone, she felt like she wasn't alone.

* * *

Phoebe woke up with a crick in her neck and an agonizingly sore back. She was too old to spend the whole night in a chair, regardless of how comfortable and warm her human pillow was. As she sat up straight, she groaned and Cole stirred at the sound.

"Morning," she said quietly. With the sunlight pouring through the blinds the world seemed much more tentative. Had the events of last night really happened, or had she imagined it? Had Cole really offered to consider moving to San Francisco? Were they really going to try to get to know one another again, after all of this time?

"Good morning," said Cole. He pushed a bit of her hair behind her ear and she smiled at the gesture. Maybe last night had been more real than she even remembered.

Phoebe gave a little sigh and stretched her legs. "What time is it?" she asked.

Cole glanced at his watch. "Six," he said. "We still have a whole hour before I have to wake up Hope. Do you want some breakfast? I can cook now…kind of."

"I don't want breakfast. Maybe just some coffee?"

Cole nodded. "Okay."

They stood up with some difficulty and Cole led Phoebe out of the room and down a hall to a spacious kitchen that Piper would have killed to have at the manor. Sitting down on a stool, she said as much while Cole began to get the coffee.

"Huh," said Cole in response. Phoebe leaned forward and rested her elbows on the island in the kitchen.

"What do you mean, 'huh'?"

"Well never mind your daughters, your sisters are going to be a whole other can of worms for us, aren't they?"

"Cole…"

"What did they say when you told them about me?"

"Piper was concerned. But in her general, worries about everyone and everything way. Not specifically because it was you."

"Right. And Paige?"

"Paige will get used to the idea."

"That's what I thought."

"Look," said Phoebe, "we have to talk about this, right now. I'm not going through round one hundred of you versus my sisters. I'll talk to them and do the best that I can, but you have got to put in some effort too. I know there's a bad history there, but you've just got to make a fresh start if you can."

Cole nodded. "I know."

"You do?"

"Phoebe, a lot has probably changed in the past twenty years, but I never for a second thought that one of those things would be your relationship with your sisters."

"Oh. Well. Good."

"But I'll believe Paige can accept this when pigs fly."

"Cole!"

"What? Paige and I have never gotten along. Even when I wasn't a demon she still thought I was scum."

"I'll talk to her."

"Okay," said Cole. "But I'm not going to get my hopes up."

Phoebe didn't argue. She honestly wasn't convinced that he was wrong. After Lena had told her about Cole the first person she had gone to was Piper, who had reluctantly confessed that she'd known Cole's spirit had been hanging around the manor. Phoebe had felt so betrayed at the time that she'd turned right around and left. Despite knowing that Paige had never been neutral about Cole, Phoebe had had no one else to talk to.

Paige, though, had chalked it up to magic gone awry. "There is no way Cole is alive, Phoebe. It's just not possible. I was there when he was vanquished."

Once Phoebe had calmed down enough to talk to Piper again, the three of them had sat down and talked things out. Piper thought Phoebe should take things slow and think things through. "Once you let Cole back in, he won't go away. I just want you to make sure that you really want this, Phoebe."

Paige had obstinately refused to believe anything would come of going to Phoenix. "And why would you want him back, anyway?"

But Phoebe had finally made up her mind on her own and one way or another her sisters were going to have to accept this. At least Prue apparently had. That was some start.

"Cole," said Phoebe, breaking the silence that had fallen upon them.

"Hmm?" said Cole. He set down a mug of coffee in front of her and Phoebe sipped it gratefully.

"I need you to know something. I have to tell you. I just…you need to…"

"You can tell me anything, Phoebe."

"I'm going to fight this time. I'm not going to just give up on us again. I just needed to tell you that. I needed you to know."

Cole nodded. "Thank you. I…I think I needed to hear that too."

Phoebe smiled and then leaned across the island to kiss him.

* * *

"My first class isn't until ten. Can you come back after I take Hope to school?"

"I can't. My flight is at eleven," said Phoebe.

"You can't reschedule?"

Phoebe bit her lip. "Lena expects me home tonight. I can't…"

"I know."

Phoebe glanced down at their entwined hands and then back up at Cole, blinking back tears. "I'll call you tonight."

"I'll be here."

"And I'll see you."

"Soon."

"Mm-hmm."

Cole leaned down and kissed her so fully she felt it down to her toes. As soon as they parted, Phoebe stepped out of the door, unable to linger. If she did, she'd never leave.

"Phoebe!" called Cole, just as she turned her back to him. "I love you!"

She turned around, still cautiously backing away. "I love you too!"

And for the first time in ages, she walked away from Cole with faith in her heart.

-_Fin_-

* * *

**A/n: **And another installment comes to an end. I greatly enjoyed writing this one. It was kind of fun to write something that wasn't saturated in angst for once. Heh. You all know me, though...I won't be able to go forever without pouring some on.

I'd like to thank every single one of you who reviewed this story. Knowing that there are people who enjoy this series makes all the work I put into it worthwhile. I truly hope that you'll continue to stick with it. The next segment (title to be announced) will deal with Cole's reunion with the other Halliwells.

Again, thanks so much for the reviews. You guys are fantastic.

_Katie_


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